Alumni: Yosemite Samurai
Tim Hardy is known for his escapades. He is the guy who drives cross-country in an underpowered little rig, shows up late, creepy-crawls every obstacle, can fix anything with two sticks, a rock, and some twine, and then loads up and idles back home every year. As we mentioned before, we asked the cronies to bring something different this year, so Hardy dusted off one of his other Suzuki Samurais and met us along the road during the second day of the trip. Now, Hardy is the type to always accept a challenge, so rather than just bringing a Sammy, he also brought along his trail trailer for good measure. We weren't really sure what he needed to haul in it, as his camping gear and week's supplies had easily fit in a single Samurai before, but since he wasn't towing his own rig and his trailer made our group just that much more oddball, we made an exception to our "no trailers" rule and tucked him in the line to let him draft the bigger rigs on the highway days.
Rig Recipe
Driver: Tim Hardy
Co-Driver: none (co-driver weight would sap horsepower)
Vehicle: '87 Suzuki Samurai
Stomping Grounds: Backroads from sea to shining sea
Engine: Stock
Transmission: Stock
Transfer Case: Stock with custom low gearset
Front Axle: Stock housing, Tim Hardy armor and custom axleshafts, EZ locker, 5.12 gears
Rear Axle: Identical to front
Suspension: Spring-over with Rancho shocks
Tires & Wheels: 35-in BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains with custom cuts on 15-in aluminum rims
Winch & Bumper: Warn 8000 on ARB bumper
Other Stuff: Trailer to haul giant mustache comb
Dimensions: Short and long
Alumni: TV Trent
Trent McGee has been on every side of the 4x4 market from sales and marketing to TV show host and magazine editor, but we're pretty sure his favorite position is behind the wheel off road. To help ease the strain of coming out from the west coast for the UA, Trent recruited fellow UA alumnus Sam Gillis to bring his rock buggy as their official ride. Sam agreed in no time flat. Right before heading off to Europe for some official government work, he dropped the buggy at Keith Bailey's shop, Off-Road Connection, and asked him to get her ready for UA. Can you see the reoccurring theme here? If you need a ride or need your ride made ready, then just call up ol' Keith Bailey (though we're not so sure he'll be renting again next year!). McGee and Gillis also coordinated the first annual UA Alumni Breakfast, which served the finest in five-star Spam-and-egg breakfast burritos to everyone on the trip. Plus, when Slay's rental, the Big Broke Beige, left him hitchhiking, these two jumped in as official tail gunners for UA09.
Rig Recipe
Driver: Trent McGee
Co-Driver: Sam Gillis
Vehicle: '08 Overkill Custom four-seater chassis
Stomping Grounds: Phoenix go-kart tracks, Gray Rock OHV Park, anywhere else in the southeast
Engine: '99 Chevrolet 5.7L LS1 V-8
Transmission: TH350
Transfer Case: Atlas II, 4:1
Front Axle: Dynatrac high-pinion 60, 35-spline axles, Warn hubs, Detroit Locker, 4.56 gears
Rear Axle: GM 14-bolt Detroit Locker, 4.56 gears
Suspension: Walker Evans air shocks
Tires & Wheels: 14/42-17 Super Swapper Iroks on 17x9 Spyderlock eight-lugs
Winch: Warn XP 9.5
Other Stuff: Jeep Liberty hood and grill, Corbeau seats, custom fuel cell, ORC custom hydraulic steering system, Lightforce headlights and rock lights, Warn synthetic rope, Be Cool aluminum radiator
Dimensions: Wheelbase 112 in, inside width 48 in, length 140 in, weight (before this trip) 3,800 lbs
4W Staff: Fred Buggy
Tech Editor Fred Williams finally made the trip in his Fun buggy after nearly five years of turmoil to build a street-legal rock buggy and take it on the UA. It still wasn't easy. Upon arrival it was determined that the windshield blocked too much airflow to the rear-mounted radiator so the engine would run hot. This was quickly fixed by trading the windshield for some goggles, a leather bomber helmet, and some headsets hooked up to the CB. Plus, when everyone else would stop for gas during highway days, Fred and his extremely tall co-pilot Clifton Slay were the only ones wearing all their jackets to keep warm in the 60-mph wind. However, any problems they had during road days were balanced out by the Fun Buggy's performance in the dirt. To summarize, you don't need portal axles, 400 hp, an Atlas transfer case, long-travel suspension, and rear steer, but they sure are fun to have.
Rig Recipe
Driver: Fred Williams
Co-Driver: Clifton Slay
Vehicle: '05-'09 Fun Buggy
Stomping Grounds: JV, Moab, Hollywood
Engine: ZZ383 GM crate engine with ACCELL DFI fuel Injection
Transmission: TCI 700R4
Transfer Case: Atlas
Front Axle: Dynatrac ProRock 60, Dedenbear Kingpin C, Axletech bolt-on portal axles, Superior axleshafts, West Coast Differential 4.10 gears, CTM joints, Wilwood brakes, ARB Air Locker
Rear Axle: Identical to front, but with CTM axleshafts
Suspension: Poly Peformance link suspension with Fox coilover shocks and air bumps
Tires & Wheels: 42x14.50x17 Goodyear Kevlar MT/Rs on Stazworks double beadlocks
Winch: Warn 8274
Other Stuff: Mastercraft seats, Lightforce off-road lights, Viking off-road winch line, PSC steering, Hamsar snowplow lights, 4-Wheelers Supply custom hood, K&N air filter, Driveline Tech drive-shafts, FourTrek Hi Lift Mount, Expedition One Geri cans
Dimensions: Wheelbase 109 in, height 84 in, weight 5,960 lbs fully loaded